jasper morrison's muji hut in tokyo features a cork façade

tokyo designers week: among the three temporary buildings commissioned by muji is jasper morrison‘s ‘cork hut’, designed as a small retreat for simple, country living. the hut is elevated above ground level with a timber porch which wraps all sides and is situated side by side along with designs by konstantin grcic and naoto fukasawa in tokyo’s midtown garden. ‘whenever I think about going to the country for the weekend, I start imagining a small house with everything needed for a short stay… the dream usually collapses when I think of the complexity of building a new house, but with this project I realized there was a chance to design such a house as a product rather than a one-off,’ says morrison.

the cork hut is on show at tokyo’s midtown garden
image © designboom

as the name suggests, layers of cork define the façade, while a slanted roof tops the structure. internally, the jasper morrison-designed space functions as a place to cook, eat, wash and sleep. a japanese-influenced living space serves as the communal area with a fireplace, while a kitchen and dining area has been organized adjacent to each other. with prices ranging from $25,000 – $40,000 USD, each of the minimal dwellings will be available to purchase starting in 2017.

the structure is elevated with a porch area which wraps around
image © designboom 

the living space with the tatami-style flooring
image © designboom

tatami and a stove for comfortable country living
image © designboom

the kitchen area
image © designboom

the hut has been designed as minimal as possible, containing only the necessities
image © designboom

  
the material used to cover the facade is expanded insulation corkboard
image © designboom

corticeira amorim is the largest world producer of cork products. in terms of properties as well as benefits, please take a look at a PDF summary published here, where the portuguese company presents the main aspects that characterize this (very special) 100% natural product.

 
detail of window frame and layered cork façade
image © designboom

backside entrance
image © designboom

cork has been used also for the door knobs
image © designboom

 
door to bathroom
image © designboom

drawing

designboom met jasper morrison during the tokyo presentation of the muji hut 
image © designboom

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